HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners have authorized spending nearly $20,000 for equipment at the county prison that will be used in treating inmates with drug addictions.

Commissioners Laura Burke and Amy Webster voted Tuesday to buy five floor-mounted treatment stations at $14,881, based on a quote provided by the Norix Group Inc., and related surveillance cameras and equipment, at $4,711 from Park Security Systems.

In addition, the county anticipates spending $173 at Lowe’s for wiring and connections so treatment can be observed via camera.

Prison Deputy Warden Jay Whitsel asked commissioners Tuesday for approval on the equipment purchases with money allocated to the county from the National Opioid Settlement. He said it would be used for Medication-Assisted Treatment at the prison.

When commissioners reviewed settlement documents in April, they spoke of settlement money toward MAT because they expect counties to be mandated to offer more treatment options to inmates with drug addictions.

Under the MAT program available in state prisons, inmates have access to methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone — also known as Vivitrol — to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Burke said Tuesday that Blair County Prison inmates currently have access to Vivitrol through PrimeCare, the company that provides medical care to inmates.

But she and Webster agreed that they expect the county will be mandated to provide more treatment options, so they voted in favor of purchasing the recommended equipment. And they also showed no interest in objecting to the anticipated mandate.

“It wouldn’t be responsible for us to put the county in a position to defend a lawsuit that we are not going to win,” Webster said.

Burke said the evidence seems to be in favor of providing inmates with treatment options for drug addictions. If someone comes into the prison with a drug addiction and on medication to address it, she said, halting that medication seems to do more harm than allowing them to stay on it.

“I think it’s a harm reduction strategy at this point,” Burke said.

County Administrator/Chief Clerk Nicole Hemminger said Tuesday that county prison administrators have been working with PrimeCare personnel on a MAT program for the county inmates. Their efforts are expected to be spelled out in a proposed contract, but Hemminger said she’s not sure when that contract will be ready for commissioners’ consideration.

Hemminger also said Tuesday that while the county is in the midst of a security upgrade project at the prison, which included the purchase of additional cameras, the cameras to be purchased for the MAT program will be used specifically for that purpose.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.